Morocco's Imperial Cities
African Studies Program Outreach, University of Wisconsin-Madison
 
Beth Bertolotto
bbertolo@mail.sdlax.k12.wi.us
Central High School
1801 Losey Blvd.
La Crosse, WI 54601


Level:

High School French (Lower level French students would do their presentations in English. Upper level students would do their presentations in French.)
 

Introduction:

The imperial cities of Fes, Marrakesh, Meknes and Rabat have played important roles throughout the history of Morocco from the pre-Arabic times of the Berbers to the Arab invasion, to European colonialism, and finally to independence. Today these cities are centers of tourism, government, religious history through their amazing architectural structures, and centers for the preservation of traditional trades and crafts.
 

Objectives:

  1. to research the history of the imperial cities.
  2. to describe these cities today for an American tourist who will be visiting including:  what there is to see, to do, where to stay, what and where to eat, and what there is to see and do in the surrounding area.
  3. to create an interest in a French-speaking country in Africa that combines European and Muslim styles and traditions.

Strategies:


The class will be divided equally into four groups, with the students choosing the city they would like to research. Imagining that their clients have unlimited resources (!), each group will prepare a tourism presentation that will include the criteria listed in objectives 1 and 2 above. Visuals must be used which could include posters, brochures, slides, photos, etc.

Students will be encouraged to make use of various types of technology in their presentations and to visit the AfricaFocus website at UW-Madison. Music, food, traditional items and clothing might also be included in the presentations.

I will develop rubrics for assessment which I will add to the unit at a later date. Another possibility that I need to develop is to videotape the presentations and put it together as a "Visit to Morocco's Imperial Cities."

Before doing the tourism unit, I will do several activities to create interest in Morocco:

  • bulletin board display of Morocco.
  • read the section on Morocco in Travler's Literary Companion, Africa, pp. 211-226.
  • Levels 4/5 will read an excerpt from La Nuit Sacree by Tahar Ben Jelloun found in the reader Litterature moderne du monde francophone; une anthologie; pp. 29-32.
  • Levels 4/5 will read excerpts from Le racisme explique a ma fille by Tahar Ben Jelloun.
  • excerpts of letters by Paul Bowles will be read.
  • artifacts, clothing, jewelry, photos, books, newspapers, magazines, authentic documents from my travel to Morocco will be shared.

Bibliography:

Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1994. Knopf Guides: Morocco. New York, N.Y.

Ben Jelloun, Tahar. 1998. Le racisme explique a ma fille. Editions du Seuil. Paris, France.

Miller, Jeffrey, ed. 1995. In Touch: the Letters of Paul Bowles. Flamingo. London, England.

Demende, Hugues. 1998. Morocco. Bendikt Taschen Verlag GmbH Hohenzollernring 53. D-59 672. Koln, Germany.

Gordon, Frances Linzee. Talbot, Dorinda. Simonis, Damien. 1998. Morocco. Lonely Planet Publications. Australia.

Hachette Edicef. 1995. Dictionnaire Universel, 3e edition. Vanves, France.

Konemann Verlagsgesellschaft mbH. 1999. Step-by-Step Moroccan Cooking. Cologne, Germany.

Le Groupe Jeune Afrique et les Editions du Jaguar. 1993. L'Atlas Jeune Afrique du Continent Africain. Paris, France.

Newby, Eric. 1984. On the Shores of the Mediterranean. Lonely Planet Publications. Australia.

Strathern, Oone, ed. 1995. Traveler's Literary Companion, Africa. Passport Books. Lincolnwood, IL.

Thompson, Peter S. 1997. Litterature Moderne du Monde Francophone; Une anthologie. NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company. Chicago, IL.

Windo, Pamela; 2000. Escape to Morocco. Fodor's Travel Publications. New York, N.Y.